Trump's stated goal of regime change in Iran would (likely) have been a positive outcome if it has actually happened. The problem is that it hasn't.

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deaux 4 hours ago | parent | next [-]

> Trump's stated goal of regime change in Iran would (likely) have been a positive outcome if it has actually happened

The number of Americans still believing this is baffling and saya everything about their history education.

"The previous 20 times we forced regime change ended up a net negative for the people in those countries, but surely this time it would've been different!".

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JumpCrisscross 3 hours ago | parent [-]

> previous 20 times we forced regime change ended up a net negative

Plenty of counter-examples, too. WWII. South Korea. Potentially Venezuela, mostly because we constrained our objectives.

I also don’t think it’s fair to constrain OP’s statement to “the people in those countries.” Regional impacts matter, too. An Iran that isn’t funding terrorist proxies everywhere could still be a net positive even if the average Iranian is no better off afterwards. (To be clear, I’m in no way supporting this stupid war.)

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deaux 2 hours ago | parent [-]

> Plenty of counter-examples, too. WWII. South Korea.

To even hint at those being in the same category of "regime change attempt" as Iran (2x), Chile, Iraq, Afghanistan, Guatemala, Congo is really desperate. Come on now. Not comparable and irrelevant.

	▲	JumpCrisscross 2 hours ago \| parent [-]
		> the same category of "regime change attempt" as Iran (2x), Chile, Iraq …why are Japan and Germany not comparable to Iraq? We’re talking methods and outcomes, not motivations. All involved a wholesale invasion, occupation and supervised restructuring followed by disarmament.

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stavros 5 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

This is off topic for what we're discussing (whether his accidental positive changes can be attributed to him), and agrees with my general point.

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decimalenough 4 hours ago | parent [-]

No, it doesn't, because you're asserting he is "trying to create negative ones".

	▲	stavros 4 hours ago \| parent [-]
		We were clearly talking about the context of energy sources, where he's trying to push something he calls "clean coal". What's the positive outcome there?